That Lovin' Feeling
by banneg
Summary: Happy Valentine's Day! This is my efforts at the Short and Sweet Challenge - I want to thank Lemon for the prompts and everyone who has been kind enough to leave me feedback that encourages me to share - this has a little language, but with Miles as a character it would have too - it also has Bass making a grand gesture and a meddling grandmother... Enjoy!


Happy Valentine's Day! This is my Short and Sweet Valentine's Day story – Thanks for all the encouragement; for the ideas from the Goodship Charloe Website, for the use of the song "You've Lost That Loving Feeling", By The Righteous Brothers and the best 80's classic movie – Top Gun - of which I own none of… Hope you all enjoy this decidedly sweet offering.

* * *

" **That Lovin' Feeling** "

Bass walked up slate walkway toward the corner lot, Victorian mansion that he had taken up residence in not long after the war and defeat of the Nano. The decision to settle into Austin and accept the offers that Blanchard had made was far easier than finding this home to live in, but this place had been worth the effort. Blanchard had assigned him to head up the new history department at the newly reopened Texas University. Bass supposed that he had been given a "retired general" teaching job to keep him from trouble, but secretly he loved his new life. He had stumbled across the three story structure with seven gables and a battlement tower one day as he walked the campus. The castle like structure gave the impression that the home was likely listed on some historic registry even before the blackout; but it looked almost abandoned. The structure itself appeared in good condition, but likely that was because the exterior appeared to be constructed of bricks covered by stucco with a clearly out of place, but once top of the line tin roof. The grounds however appeared to have suffered from years of neglect and on the 3rd or 4th time around campus he watched as an older woman struggled to get a couple of bags of food up the stairs. Bass had jogged across the street and offered his assistance which had led to the sweet 82 year-old woman offering dinner, which had led to her offering a place to live in exchange for help maintaining the house. Angela had quick come to feel like a memory of his mother, she was sweet and funny, and now that he was picking up the tab on food she looked a lot less frail. Listening to her storied had been fun, her memories made for nice evening conversations at dinner before he would head out to meet Miles and Charlie at Miles' new hotel and bar.

One evening about a month after he moved in, Angela had explained how she had been earning the money for food and logs to heat her home, "Young man, I have another task that I need your help with." She pronounced.

Bass tried not to chuckle at the 'young man' and simple asked, "How can I help?"

Angela had then explained that she had been serving as 'Dear Angie" for the Austin Star newspaper since it had restarted. "I know it is just an excuse for Frank Blanchard and his wife Mary Louise to give me enough money to live off of, I used to be her babysitter when I was a teenager; but I have really come to enjoy telling people what to do." Bass had laughed at that between bites of dinner, remembering the various times she had encouraged him to act on his feelings for Charlotte. Every time he had tried to explain that she likely didn't want his 'old ass', but Angela claimed she knew better. Since the evening that Bass had learned she was going blind and the shaking was making her handwriting impossible to read, he had been reading the letters to her, and helping her write responses to the ones she selected.

* * *

\- February: Six months after their return, one month after Bass started responding to the letters -

"Young man, pay attention! I have told you to do something about that young lady of yours and yet nothing has happened. You do realize this house needs a family and children? Well it appears it will never have them because your young lady sent a letter to me looking for advice about finding a nice young man…"

Stunned Bass tried to process that Charlotte had written a letter looking for love advice. He knew this day would come, but he didn't know if he had it in him to watch as another man stepped into Charlotte's life. "It's probably better, she needs a young man not my half crazy, damaged old ass; besides my best friend is her father – he'd kill me before I even got to tell her how I really felt."

Angela watched the sadness consume him, but held out hope that this might be the thing that pushed him to act. "It's in the pile. Go ahead and pick one to read."

Bass started thumbing through the pile of letters and stopped in surprise when he saw the familiar writing of Miles Matheson. Confused, Bass paused and turned the letter over, muttering "Miles wrote a letter to an advice column? Damn he was going to abuse him for this…". Ripping one end open, Bass said, "We'll start with this one… I know this dick and he needs even more help with his love life than I do." When Angela asked him why, Bass explained, "He seems to think he's in love with a real psychopath…"; when he saw she wasn't paying attention he pulled out the letter and began to read.

 _Dear Angie,_

 _I figured your name was some kind of sign, so I thought I could write and maybe you could fix some of my problems._

Bass paused for a laugh and pointed out, "Dude's got way too many problems for one person to fix."

Shaking her head, "Read, don't comment! You aren't the professional."

 _My best friend's sister was named Angela. Back in the day, when we were joining the Marines she had told me she loved me and she used to write me. She asked me to call her Angie, so I figured maybe it would be like talking to her again. She was too young for me, but she would have grown up cute_ _…_

"OH, HELL NO!" Bass bit out.

Shaking her head, "Just read."

Grumbling Bass said, "Fine, but he dies later." Then he began reading again.

 _Anyway, my daughter and her mother will likely kill each other if they keep living together; and even worse my daughter is miserable because she is in love with my best friend and he is too much of a moron to do anything. I might have minded if something had happened when she first told me, but now I actually think I would help if he would just step up and do something_ _–_ _because let's be honest_ _–_ _I had a drinking problem before I had to live with my moody daughter who loves my idiot best friend and my baby momma that can't stop fighting with her and lecturing her._

 _I am desperate and done! Life would have been better if I had just said yes and married my Angela even if she was only 16 and I would have been arrested or killed by Bass._

 _From: Frustrated and Not Drunk Enough for this Shit_

Dropping the letter, Bass let out a breath; "Wow, I can't even go anywhere with this…"

Tossing a cloth napkin at his head, Angela said, "Then don't. Read another one." Bass shook his head and dove back into the pile to find Charlotte's letter. When he found the scrawling script midway down the remaining pile, he pulled it out and flipped it over. Angela watched as he stared a hole through the paper before suggesting, "It might be easier to open it, if you want to read it…"

After a few more minutes had passed, Bass took a deep breath and gently sliced the envelope open with his knife, not wanting to damage anything inside.

 _Dear Angie,_

 _My life sucks! I HATE Texas! All the boys my age are just that_ _–_ _STUPID BOYS! I live with my parents_ _–_ _ok, so I love my father Miles. He wasn't always my father_ _–_ _although I guess he was, I just didn't know it because my biggest problem_ _–_ _my B**** of a mother lied to my uncle that raise me as his own. She keeps trying to fix me up with a 'nice' boy, but I am already in love with someone. Unfortunately, the man_ _–_ _yes, I am in love with a real man, not some stupid boy; refuses to acknowledge all of my advances. I think he is afraid that my father, his best friend will kill him. In fairness if I have to live one more day with my mother, with no hope of getting laid by the walking sex on a stick that is Bass Monroe, I will likely kill her. Now she keeps talking about me being open to my "Say Anything" moment_ _–_ _whatever the hell that is!"_ _–_ _I really only want a romantic moment from one man and I won't hold my breath that he would do that_ _…_

 _From Sad and Losing Hope_

Bass laid the letter down and let the words sink in. Charlotte loved him and, shocker of shockers Miles didn't appear to mind. He could do something about it, they could be together; he could even get back at Miles for his secret flirtation with his sister Angela; and he knew how.

* * *

\- Later that night –

Miles stood behind his bar waiting for another night to begin and nodded toward Bass as he entered the door. "You're here early tonight. Tough day with the co-eds"

Grinning Bass said, "Very funny, actually I am here to call in a favor."

Pouring a drink and tossing it back Miles asked, "I owe you a favor? Pretty sure any favor I owe you was paid long ago."

Laughing, Bass reached over and grabbed a bottle to take a long swig, before answering, "I want you to help me make a grand gesture for this woman I love… she's perfect – beautiful, smart, sexy, a real bad ass – basically the total package. And, well brother, I need your help because I think she wants, and I know she deserves that whole romantic moment shit that girls like."

Uncomfortable, Miles blew out a breath. He was hoping this day would never come, but he knew his brother; and Bass had a way with women. Charlotte would be devastated. "Bass, I'm… I… I'm not sure helping you is in my best interest."

Enjoying the moment Bass decided to let the dick twist in the wind a moment longer, "Oh, I imagine after your secret, long-distance affair with my teenage sister you owe me…" Bass watched the uncomfortable look form on his face and waited just long enough for it to sink in that Bass had read the letter Miles had written before he began speaking, "I'm in love with Charlotte." He declared.

Releasing a hard breath, Miles replied, "Oh, thank God! Whatever you need, I'm in, as long as it involves finding a way to make her happy and get her away from Rachel."

Chuckling Bass resumed his explanation of the job he had for Miles, while his friend laughed at the plan.

\- 2 hours later –

The house band had taken the stage and claimed to be ready with the music requested, and Bass and Miles stood on stage waiting for the crowd to quiet. Searching the room Bass noticed Charlotte sitting slouched at the bar with a glass of whiskey and a closed off expression.

Realizing the music would not begin until they are quiet, the crowd seemed to settle and Bass turned to Miles saying, " _She's lost that loving feeling_."

Miles shook his head and replied, " _She's lo… No she hasn't_."

The crowd seemed confused, but watched silently. As Bass said, " _Yes, she has_."

Nearly yelling, Miles said, " _She's not lost that lo…"_

Interrupting Bass answered "Miles, _she's lost it, man_." Moving off stage and toward where Charlotte sat watching, Bass noticed the older members of the crowd begin to make the connection in stunned awe.

And then a moment later when Miles grumbled, " _Come on! Aw shit! I hate it when she does that_." and the crowd erupted into cheers turning toward the direction Bass was walking.

Bass reached Charlotte, before tapping her shoulder and starting to sing along to the opening cords of the music, " _You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips; And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips; You're trying hard not to show it, baby; But baby, baby I know it_."

Charlotte sat stunned as Bass crooned to her, before looking around in awe as every person over 40 in the bar started singing along and Miles stepped up next to his best friend.

" _You've lost that lovin' feelin', Whoa, that lovin' feelin'; You've lost that lovin' feelin', Now it's gone...gone...gone...woah_."

Charlotte nearly fell off her stool laughing at the snapping but the grin on her face was undeniable when the singing began again.

" _Baby baby, I get down on my knees for you, If you would only love me like you used to do, yeah; We had a love, a love, a love you don't find every day; So don't, don't, don't, don't let it slip away_."

As the music continued, Charlotte threw her arms around Bass and kissed him hard and deep. It took him a moment to respond, the shock of finally having her in his arms settling in before he wrapped his arms around her and responded to her urgent lips. When the kiss broke, he heard her yell over the clapping and cheers, "I am NEVER going to let you slip away!"

Miles clapped his hand on Bass' back and grinned before adding, "My daughter is all yours now. Don't fuck it up or I will have to kill you. Oh, and by the way – I'll have her stuff delivered tomorrow." Then as Bass and Charlotte laugh he walked around to his normal spot behind the bar.

"So beautiful, can I take you to your new home?" Bass asked. Interpreting the hearty laugh and the kiss that followed as a yes, Bass swung her over his shoulder and carried her out the front door.

* * *

From a dark booth in the back corner, Angela rose and walked toward the bar. Greeting Miles, as he poured her a glass and squeezed her hand, "Hey handsome, seems like my plan worked out just fine."

Laughing he replied, "Yes it did! You are one amazing woman!"

Nodding she smiled and said, "I was sonny boy – in my time I certainly was…"


End file.
